Smith County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
Who is running for Tennessee Senate and Tennessee House, with bios, priorities and campaign sites.
County offices are not on the November 3 ballot. Tennessee elected its county offices (county mayor, sheriff, clerks, trustee, register, assessor, county commission, school board and trial-court judges) at the August 6, 2026 county general election. Those results are final; where this county's August races are tracked, they appear below under Already decided. The November ballot in Smith County carries the state legislative, congressional and statewide races shown here.
By address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Find your districts by addressTennessee Senate District 15Paul Bailey (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Paul Bailey
Top priorities
From the campaign site
- Economic development for the Upper Cumberland region
About Paul Bailey
Bailey co-founded CB Trucking and has served as its general manager for more than 31 years, growing the company from two used trucks to about 100 employees, per the campaign site. He served on the White County Commission, becoming its chairman, before being appointed to the state House in 2014 and later winning the Senate's 15th District seat, per the campaign site. He chairs the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, per the campaign site.
August 6 primary result: no Democratic candidate qualified; Paul Bailey was unopposed for the Republican nomination. Paul Bailey is the only major-party nominee on the November 3 ballot, per the Tennessee Secretary of State's official primary results. Independent candidates certified for November, if any, are added at the Secretary of State's certification. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageTennessee House District 40Daniel T. Hawthorne (D) · Michael Hale (R)
Daniel T. Hawthorne
Daniel Hawthorne is a public school teacher with 10 years of experience and a father of four daughters who has lived in Smith County for eight years, per WJLE Radio. He is the Democratic nominee for Tennessee House District 40, which covers Cannon, DeKalb, Jackson, Smith and part of Wilson County. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
Michael Hale
Top priorities
From other published sources
- Child nutrition support programs, per Tennessee House Republican Caucus
- Infrastructure funding for regional roadway projects, per Tennessee House Republican Caucus
- Healthcare advocacy, including TennCare coverage issues, per Tennessee House Republican Caucus
About Michael Hale
Michael Hale is a funeral home owner and pastor who opened DeKalb Funeral Chapel in 1999, per the Tennessee House Republican Caucus. He also raises cattle on his family farm. He is the Republican incumbent for House District 40. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
August 6 primary result: Daniel T. Hawthorne was unopposed for the Democratic nomination; Michael Hale was unopposed for the Republican nomination. They meet on the November 3 ballot, per the Tennessee Secretary of State's official primary results. Independent candidates certified for November, if any, are added at the Secretary of State's certification. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageVoting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
Tennessee elected its county offices (county mayor, sheriff, clerks, trustee, register, assessor, county commission, school board and trial-court judges) at the August 6, 2026 county general election, held alongside the state and federal primaries; those results are final and none of those offices print again on November 3. The November ballot carries the state legislative, congressional and statewide nominees set by the August 6 primaries, per the Tennessee Secretary of State.
Who is on the ballot in Smith County, Tennessee on November 3, 2026?
Smith County sample ballot 2026: who is running for tennessee house and tennessee senate, with bios, priorities and campaign sites. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Tennessee?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Tennessee are listed on the Tennessee election hub. Tennessee election hub →
How do I see my exact Smith County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
Tennessee statewide racesEvery Tennessee race on this county's ballot.All Tennessee ballot measures3 statewide ballot measures